A Lesson for Washington:
Minority Admissions Rebound at the University of California
1999-13
On November 3, 1998, the voters of Washington state passed Initiative 200, which gained 58.2% of votes cast. The measure passed in all of Washington’s 39 counties except King, and in all parts of that county except Seattle. Similarly worded to Proposition 209, the voter-approved California Civil Rights Initiative, Initiative 200 prohibits all state and local government entities from using race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin as a factor for hiring, contracting, or public education.
During public debate of Initiative 200, opponents feared the worst for minority student enrollment at the University of Washington. The vice president for minority student affairs said that if Initiative 200 barred the university from granting racial preferences to some students over others, it would make the university “more elitist and racist.”
At first glance it might appear these fears are being realized. The number of African Americans entering the UW this fall will be 40.3% lower than the number who entered last year, dropping from 124 to 74 students.
The number of entering Hispanic students will decrease 29.2%, dropping from 205 to 143 students. Native American student enrollment will drop 19.6%, from 56 to 45 students.
But other factors are also at work. The UW is just one of five public universities in the state, and the number of minority applicants at other schools in the system is on the rise. In 1999, Eastern Washington University in Cheney has seen a 36% boost in the number of minority applicants over last year, while at Western Washington University in Bellingham, minority student applications are up 14.5% over last year.
These figures indicate a trend in minority enrollment that is already well underway in California’s public universities. If the pattern continues, California’s experience with minority admissions will be duplicated in Washington in coming years.
As in Washington, the initial reports from California’s top university about minority admissions were filled with gloom. In 1998, the first year without race-based admissions, Berkeley saw a 61% drop in its minority enrollment numbers. But in 1999, the second year of race-blind admissions, Berkeley’s admissions rebounded to 276 African-American first-year students, up from 191 last year (a 44.5% increase), and 741 Hispanic first-year students, up from 600 admitted last year, a 23.5% increase.
Out of the eight campuses that make up the University of California system, Riverside and Irvine have seen the most dramatic increases in minority student applicants. In 1998, 370 African American students were admitted to Riverside. This year, that university admitted 571 African Americans, a 54.3% increase.
Last year Riverside admitted 1,270 Hispanic students; this year it is admitting 1,722, a 35.6% jump. For the UC system as a whole, non-Asian minority students admitted for the fall of 1999 have returned almost to 1997 levels, the last year of race-based admissions.
There is no doubt that minority students can reach high scholarly achievement when basic academic standards are maintained. In fact, by focusing on academics, all students are better prepared for college work. If Washington’s state universities stress real academic achievement, talented and ambitious minority students will apply, and a strong academic focus contributes to the success of these students in graduating from college.
For example, in the days of race-based admissions, minority students with high academic qualifications admitted to Berkeley on their own merits graduated at much higher rates than less academically qualified minority students who had gained entrance under race preferences.
These figures make it clear that it is the academic environment, not race, that is the key to student success. While attending a large school like the University of Washington is exciting, some first-year students would fare better at a smaller college.
Small campuses or community colleges provide instructors who have more time to attend to individual student needs. In fact, many community college students take advantage of the transfer agreement program. After attending a two-year college and honing their study skills, these students often transfer to regular four-year baccalaureate institutions.
After the ban on race preferences became law, Berkeley Admissions Director Bob Laird said, “We had stronger applicants from African American and Chicano communities.” With a focus on academics, California educators have found that this year’s minority students are better prepared for their first year of college.
Fine educations are available to aspiring scholars at Western Washington University and at Washington State University, a fact that should be recognized before crocodile tears are shed over students, black, white or other, who are supposedly “condemned” to attend such institutions instead of the UW. Matching a student’s preparation with the expectations of a college as measured by admission standards is the best way to assure that all students receive the greatest benefits from their post-secondary education. The shift in minority application patterns suggests that Washington is learning that lesson.
The Equal Citizenship Project is part of the Washington Institute Foundation and is devoted to researching public policy issues that affect the fundamental civil rights of all Washington state citizens. The Project is made possible by grants from The John M. Olin Foundation and The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.